Search

The localization of sources of pressure transients is essential for proactively managing and reducing the adverse effects of these transients in water supply networks (WSNs). This paper addresses the issue of localizing transient sources in a WSN where there is uncertainty about the network connectivity. If closed valves or blockages in the pipes are not accounted for, it can result in inaccurate knowledge of the network connectivity, leading to incorrect estimations about the sources of pressure transients. The problem is challenging due to the added uncertainties in estimating the velocity of pressure waves and determining their arrival times at pressure monitoring sites. In order to systematically investigate this problem, the paper presents a novel theoretical framework for localizing the source of pressure transients in WSNs with uncertain connectivity. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer quadratic program, which consists of minimizing the difference between analytical and measured pressure wave arrival times for multiple pairs of time-synchronized sensors. Unlike previous approaches, the k-shortest path (with respect to time) routing problem is incorporated into the problem formulation to account for multiple potential wave propagation paths. The optimization problem is then solved using an off-the-shelf solver, and a methodology is developed to ensure the reliability of the optimization approach. We apply the proposed methodology to numerically simulated pressure transient data for a benchmark WSN and compare it against a previously published method. The results show a notable improvement in accurately localizing the source of a transient in the presence of unknown closed valves or pipe blockages. Provided pressure wave speeds are predetermined, the proposed methodology is able to simultaneously localize the source of a pressure transient and validate the assumed hydraulic connectivity of a WSN. In this way, any irregularities or uncertainties in network connectivity can also be periodically detected and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges regarding the prediction of groundwater resource changes is the climate change phenomenon and its impacts on quantitative variations of such resources. Groundwater resources are treated as one of the main strategic resources of any region. Given the climate change phenomenon and its impacts on hydrological parameters, it is necessary to evaluate and predict future changes to achieve an appropriate plan to maintain and preserve water resources. In this regard, the present study is put forward by utilizing the Statistical Down-Scaling Model (SDSM) to forecast the main climate variables (i.e., temperature and precipitation) based on new Rcp scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions within a period from 2020 to 2060. The results obtained from the prediction of climate parameters indicate different values in each emission scenario, so the limit, minimum and maximum values occur in the Rcp8.5, Rcp2.6 and Rcp4.5 scenarios, respectively. Also, a model is developed by utilizing the GMDH artificial neural network technique. The developed model predicts the average groundwater level based on the climate variables in such a way that by implementing the climate parameters forecasted by the SDSM model, the groundwater level within a time period from 2020 to 2060 is predicted. The results obtained from the verification and validation of the model imply its proper performance and reasonable accuracy in predicating groundwater level based on the climate variables. The findings derived from the present paper indicate that compared to the years prior to the prediction period, the groundwater level of the Sahneh Plain has dramatically dropped so that based on the Rcp scenarios, the groundwater level values are in their lowest state within the period from 2046 to 2056. The findings of this paper can be used by managers and decision makers as a layout for evaluating climate change effects in the Sahneh Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ongoing climate change, new threats appear to the operation of water supply systems (WSSs), which are related to the amount of available drinking water resources, its quality, the operation of existing water supply infrastructure and changes in consumer behavior. The paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the state of knowledge on the impact of climate change on the failure of water supply infrastructure. The bibliometric analysis was performed based on the VOSviewer program. The results of the analysis indicate current research trends in this area around the world and allow the identification of strengths and weaknesses. Most research concerns the identification of factors related to the impact of climate on the failure rate of water distribution systems. A popular research topic was also the prediction of water supply network failures, taking into account the impact of climatic factors. The main research gap is determining the impact of climate change on water quality. The acquired knowledge can be used by water companies, policy-makers and other researchers to plan adaptation strategies to climate change, which pose new challenges for the operation of water supply systems. The conducted bibliometric analysis also allowed for identifying research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of the journal "Water" focuses on the management and sustainable development of the Yellow River basin in China. It includes twenty academic papers covering various aspects of Yellow River basin management, such as water resources allocation, ecological protection, and environmental restoration. The papers provide insights into topics such as climate change's impact on the river's natural runoff and the challenges and potential solutions for water resource allocation and efficient utilization. The document emphasizes the need for coordinated development, ecological protection, and sustainable management of the Yellow River Basin. It also highlights the challenges of managing pollutants and understanding the water-sediment relationship in the basin. Additionally, the governance of the Yellow River Basin should consider cultural preservation and integrate it into the water management strategies. [Extracted from the article]

Hydropower and photovoltaic power are widely used as clean energy sources around the world. Hydro-Photovoltaic complementary is precisely the use of the regulation performance of hydropower stations and the peak regulation performance of PV electric fields to improve the system's power generation efficiency. The Yalong River basin as one of China's clean energy bases, is rich in water and light resources. And now its midstream Yangfanggou hydropower station has just been completed, and the relevant PV electric field is in the construction planning stage. It is worth studying how to effectively utilize its hydropower and PV output resources. Therefore, Yangfanggou hydropower station and its PV electric field are taken as the research objects in this paper. The possibility of hydro-photovoltaic complementarity is analyzed within the year and day respectively. Then, a short-term scheduling model of hydrophotovoltaic complementarity is constructed according to the principle, and its operation mode and effect are optimized using the genetic algorithm NSGA-II. The results indicate that the annual power generation of the system is increased by about 1.4 billion kWh from the original hydropower through the hydrophotovoltaic complementary, and the annual guaranteed output is also increased with a large increase degree at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of climate change, periods of drought will occur more frequently. This causes challenges for water use, ranging from limitations on the navigability of water courses, limited availability of water for irrigation and drinking water supply, reduced hydropower production, increasing concentrations of pollutants, deteriorating water quality, and ecosystem degradation. Dealing with droughts, however, is a complex puzzle due to the multi-level governance characteristics of international river basins and the need to meet the freshwater demands of all sectors involved. This increases the need to address drought issues in a coordinated way, along all levels of decision making. Thus far, the way this must be executed has been under-researched. This paper addresses this knowledge gap as it aims to provide design principles for good multi-level drought risk governance in international river basins. In order to meet our aim, we first reviewed literature on multi-level and good governance and established an assessment framework. This framework was applied in a case study on drought risk governance in the international Rhine basin. Policy documents were analyzed and key informants interviewed. We found that although the governance practice in the basin meets most of our framework criteria, differences between the international level, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland also occurred. We have synthesized our findings into a list of 10 design principles for good multi-level drought risk governance, which could function as a starting point for the analysis and improvement of other multi-level drought risk governance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the peak ground acceleration (PGA) under four exceedance probabilities calculated via a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis method for China, the probability density function of PGA was obtained by fitting with the Cornell seismic hazard exceedance probability PGA function model. Combined with the seismic fragility function of the water supply system calculated on the basis of the empirical matrix of actual earthquake damage and the exposure of fixed assets, the expected seismic loss and expected loss rate models of the water supply system were established, and the classification standard with the expected seismic loss rate of the water supply system as the index was proposed. The seismic fragility of the water supply system was classified, and the exposure of the water supply system was analyzed. The total fixed assets in the Statistical Yearbook of Urban Water Supply, henceforth called Water Supply Yearbook, were taken as the exposure to earthquake in the region. The accuracy of the fragility model in this paper was verified through the actual earthquake damage losses in Deyang. Taking the water supply system of 720 cities in mainland China as an example, the distribution maps of expected seismic loss and expected loss rate were calculated and drawn. The expected loss rate model was verified by the key earthquake prevention areas in mainland China. The assessment model based on the expected loss and expected loss rate was taken as the seismic risk assessment model of water supply systems in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clean water crisis around the world is mainly caused by the pollution and depletion of freshwater. There is only less than 1% of the water on Earth is in a pure and consumable state. Many people around the world actually die every single day due to the lack of access to clean, potable water and to proper sanitation which resulted in many waterborne diseases. Hence, water purification plays an extremely important role as access to clean water is fundamental to basic human rights. The objective of this paper is to develop a solar-thermal water distillation system with solar energy as its main power source to distilled water for safe consumption, hence achieving clean water purification through clean energy. The proposed hemisphere flatbased solar thermal distiller works well with the absorption of sun radiation from almost every angle with its spherical surface. The prototype works best under full sunlight conditions and is capable to purify water from various water sources to safe and ideal pH value for consumption. Solar radiation, being a clean energy and available in abundance at no cost, makes this design feasible for many and easy to scale up whenever the need arises. The simple working principle and fabrication at low cost also makes it an ideal solution in helping communities that have difficulty or no access to clean water supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planet Mars is the most probable among the terrestrial planets in our solar system to support human settlement or colonization in the future. The detection of water ice or liquid water on the shallow subsurface of Mars is a crucial scientific objective for both the Chinese Tianwen-1 and United States Mars 2020 missions, which were launched in 2020. Both missions were equipped with Rover-mounted ground-penetrating radar (GPR) instruments, specifically the RoPeR on the Zhurong rover and the RIMFAX radar on the Perseverance rover. The in situ radar provides unprecedented opportunities to study the distribution of shallow subsurface water ice on Mars with its unique penetrating capability. The presence of water ice on the shallow surface layers of Mars is one of the most significant indicators of habitability on the extraterrestrial planet. A considerable amount of evidence pointing to the existence of water ice on Mars has been gathered by previous researchers through remote sensing photography, radar, measurements by gamma ray spectroscopy and neutron spectrometers, soil analysis, etc. This paper aims to review the various approaches utilized in detecting shallow subsurface water ice on Mars to date and to sort out the past and current evidence for its presence. This paper also provides a comprehensive overview of the possible clues of shallow subsurface water ice in the landing area of the Perseverance rover, serving as a reference for the RIMFAX radar to detect water ice on Mars in the future. Finally, this paper proposes the future emphasis and direction of rover-mounted radar for water ice exploration on the Martian shallow subsurface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources are a fundamental natural and strategic economic resource and are closely related to high-quality economic and societal development. This paper uses the pilot implementation of the water resource tax reform to explore the impact of that reform on the green innovation and total factor productivity of enterprises. The study sample includes data for high water-consuming A-share listed enterprises in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China, from 2007 to 2021; the double-difference method was used for the analysis. Study findings indicate that replacing water resource fees with taxes significantly improves the green innovation level and total factor productivity of enterprises. Green innovation has a significant partial mediating effect between the water resource tax reform and total factor productivity. The water resource tax reform promotes green innovation in enterprises, enhancing total factor productivity. When considering different types of enterprise property rights, the economic effect of the water resource tax reform is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, compared to state-owned enterprises. This paper provides empirical evidence for expanding the pilot scope of the water resource tax reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human impacts on the living environment, habitats, land use and natural resource cause many environmental issues (air pollution, biodiversity, climate change, energy, global warming, water pollution, etc.). Among them, in this paper we chose the water resources planning as a general goal problem that we attempt to solve using some chosen optimization models. Taking all needed parameters that define the measure of pollution, we apply efficient accelerated gradient method and its hybrid version as a tool to solve the goal problem. The chosen applicative methods are the transformed accelerated double step-size method (TADSS) and the hybrid TADSS, (i.e. HTADSS) scheme. Good convergence and numerical properties of both models are confirmed in relevant papers. The search directions of chosen methods are of the gradient descent form. With that, the iterative step lengths parameters of the applicative methods are derived using the adequate Backtracking line search algorithms. In both of these models we also use the initial improvement of the inexact line search procedure which additionally upgrades the performance characteristics of the applied model. Finally, the relevant accelerated parameters of chosen models are derived using the features of the second order Taylor’s expansions that are taken on the objective iterative rules. The hybrid applicative method, HTADSS model, is defined using the Khan’s hybridization three-term principle. Several contemporary researches show that from this hybrid rule at least eight efficient minimalization methods are developed. Numerical comparations, taken on a large-scale test functions with application of the Dolan-Moré benchmarking optimization software, confirmed that Khan’s hybrid approach is justified to use as a way of improving the objective accelerated gradient minimization method. The both applicative optimization models, are confirmedly efficient regarding usually analyzed performance metrics: the number of iterations, the CPU time and the number of function evaluations. Proven good convergence and performance features, the efficiency, as well as, the robustness of the objective minimization scheme were the guiding criteria in choosing the applicative optimization methods for generating the relevant solver-models for the posed water resources planning problem. Proposed idea of application of the TADSS and the HTADSS optimization models for solving water resources planning problem can be used similarly for solving some other environmental issues mentioned above. Furthermore, this approach is applicative on various methods of different optimization classes. Further researches concerning this theme might consider studying of the appropriately chosen type of optimization method as an adequate application for solving a certain environmental issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an active microwave sensor with all-day/night and all-weather detection capability, which is crucial for detecting surface water resources. Surface water-body such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds usually appear as dark areas in SAR images. Accurate and automated extraction of these water bodies can provide valuable data for the management and strategic planning of surface water resources and effectively help prevent and control drought and flood disasters. However, most deep learning-based methods rely on manually labeled samples for model training and testing, which is inefficient and may introduce errors. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel water-body detection method that combines optimization algorithms and deep learning techniques to automate water-body label extraction and improve the accuracy of water-body detection. First, this paper uses a swarm intelligence optimization algorithm, Dung Beetle Optimizer (DBO), to optimize the initial cluster center of the K-means clustering algorithm, which is called the DBO-K-means (DK) method. The DK method divides the training images into four categories and extracts the water bodies in them to generate the water-body labels required for deep learning model training and testing, and the whole process does not require human intervention. Then, the labels generated by DK and training data set images are fed into the Classifier–Optimizer (CO) for training. The classifier performs a dense classification task at the pixel level, resulting in an initial result image with blurred boundaries of the water body. Then, the optimizer takes this preliminary result image and the original SAR image as input, performs fine-grained optimization on the preliminary result, and finally generates a result image with a clear water-body boundary. Finally, we evaluated the accuracy of water-body detection using multiple performance indicators including ACC, precision, F1-Score, recall, and Kappa coefficient. The results show that the values of all indicators exceed 93%, which demonstrates the high accuracy and reliability of our proposed water-body detection method. Overall, this paper presents a novel DK-based approach that improves the automation and accuracy of deep learning methods for detecting water bodies in SAR images by enabling automatic sample extraction and optimization of deep learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delayed ettringite formation (DEF) is strongly affected by moisture. Thus, understanding the effect of this parameter on the related degradations is of prime interest, not only for prevention strategies, but also for re-assessment of affected structures. While alkali–aggregate reactions have been extensively researched, the effect of moisture on DEF still deserves to be studied, especially for exposure conditions representative of field exposure. This paper describes an experimental programme that aims to contribute to this objective. It consists in exposing concrete specimens with different DEF potentials to controlled moisture and water supply conditions, either constant or variable. The test results with these first conditions will help to determine the relationship between moisture and expansion, while test results of variable conditions will be used to benchmark these equations. To ensure exposure conditions are as stable as possible, a specific experimental set-up was developed and is presented in this paper. Moreover, determination of the wetting–drying cycles applied to some specimens is presented and preliminary results are displayed and analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of DOMES: Digest of Middle East Studies is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Seven public water systems in Minnesota, USA were analyzed from one to five times over a two-year period to assess temporal changes in the concentrations of total bacteria, Legionella spp., and Legionella pneumophila from source (i.e., raw water) through the water treatment process to the end water user. Bacterial biomass was collected by filtering large volumes of raw water (12 to 425 L, median: 38 L) or finished and tap water (27 to 1205 L, median: 448 L) using ultrafiltration membrane modules. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was then used to enumerate all bacteria (16S rRNA gene fragments), all Legionella spp. (ssrA), and Legionella pneumophila (mip). Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and L. pneumophila also were quantified in the water samples via cultivation. Median concentrations of total bacteria and Legionella spp. (ssrA) in raw water (8.5 and 4.3 log copies/L, respectively) decreased by about 2 log units during water treatment. The concentration of Legionella spp. (ssrA) in water collected from distribution systems inversely correlated with the total chlorine concentration for chloraminated systems significantly (p = 0.03). Although only 8 samples were collected from drinking water distribution systems using free chlorine as a residual disinfectant, these samples had significantly lower concentrations of Legionella spp. (ssrA) than samples collected from the chloraminated systems (p = 5 × 10 -4 ). There was considerable incongruity between the results obtained via cultivation-independent (qPCR) and cultivation-dependent assays. Numerous samples were positive for L. pneumophila via cultivation, none of which tested positive for L. pneumophilia (mip) via qPCR. Conversely, a single sample tested positive for L. pneumophilia (mip) via qPCR, but this sample tested negative for L. pneumophilia via cultivation. Overall, the results suggest that conventional treatment is effective at reducing, but not eliminating, Legionella spp. from surface water supplies and that residual disinfection is effective at suppressing these organisms within drinking water distribution systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Timothy M. LaPara and Raymond M. Hozalski report financial support was provided by Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Water distribution networks play a crucial role in ensuring a reliable water supply, yet they encounter challenges such as corrosion, scale formation, and biofilm growth due to interactions with environmental elements. Biofilms and corrosion layers are significant contaminants in water pipes, formed by complex interactions with pipe materials. As the structure of these contamination layers varies depending on the pipe material, it is essential to investigate the contamination layer for each material individually. Specifically, biofilm growth is typically investigated concerning organic sources, while the growth of humus layers is examined in relation to inorganic elements such as manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al), which are major elements and organic substances found in water pipes. Real-time imaging of recently contaminated layers can provide important insights to improve system performance by optimizing operations and cleaning processes. In this study, cast iron (7.10 ± 0.78 nm) exhibits greater surface roughness compared to PVC (5.60 ± 0.14 nm) and provides favorable conditions for biofilm formation due to its positive charge. Over a period of 425 h, the fouling layer on cast iron and PVC surfaces gradually increased in fouling thickness, porosity, roughness, and density, reaching maximum value of 29.72 ± 3.6 μm, 11.44 ± 1.1%, 41673 ± 1025.6 pixels, and 0.80 ± 0.3 fouling layer pixel/layer pixel for cast iron, and 8.15 ± 0.4 μm, 20.64 ± 0.9%, 35916.6 ± 755.7 pixels, and 0.58 ± 0.1 fouling layer pixel/layer pixel, respectively. Within the scope of the current research, CNN model demonstrates high correlation coefficients (0.98 and 0.91) in predicting biofilm thickness for cast iron and PVC. The model also presented high accuracy in predicting porosity for both materials (over 0.91 for cast iron and 0.96 for PVC). While the model accurately predicted biofilm roughness and density for cast iron (correlation coefficients 0.98 and 0.94, respectively), it had lower accuracy for PVC (correlation coefficients 0.92 for both parameters)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Treated drinking water is delivered to customers through drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs). Although studies have focused on exploring the microbial ecology of DWDSs, knowledge about the effects of different water treatments on the bacterial community of biofilm and loose deposits in DWDS is limited. This study assessed the effects of additional treatments on the bacterial communities developed in 10 months' old pilot DWDSs. The results showed a similar bacterial community in the pipe-wall biofilm, which was dominated by Novosphingobium spp. (20-82 %) and Sphingomonas spp. (11-53 %), regardless of the treatment applied. The bacterial communities that were retained in the distribution systems (including pipe-wall biofilm and loose deposits) were similar to the particle-associated bacteria (PAB) in the corresponding supply water. The additional treatments showed clear effects of the removal and/or introduction of particles. The genera Aeromonas spp., Clostridium spp., Legionella spp., and Pseudomonas spp., which contain opportunistic pathogenic species, were only detected among the PAB in ion exchange system. Our study demonstrated that the biofilm community is consistent across treatments, and the contribution from bacteria in loose deposits is important but can be controlled by removing particles. These findings offer more insight into the origin and development of microbial ecology in DWDSs and suggest paths for further research on the possibility of managing the microbial ecology in distribution systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The City of Cape Town (CoCT), South Africa faced a critical situation between 2015 and 2018 in which the municipal water supply was almost completely exhausted. This situation, commonly referred to as Day Zero in South Africa emanated from a decline in rainfall, resulting in one of the most severe droughts in history. The crisis was also aggravated by rapid population growth and urbanization. CoCT was on the verge of becoming the first city in the past decade to experience a complete cessation of water supply for urban and agricultural purposes. In addition to the effects of low rainfall and population surge, urban energy consumption and increased food demand impacted directly the available water resources. To evaluate the interlinkages between water utilization, water production, energy supply and demand, and food production and demand, this study employed a system dynamics modeling (SDM) approach. The model was developed as a stock and flow diagram utilizing Stella Architect and encompassed five interconnected nodes: water, energy, food, land, and population. The findings revealed that by the end of the 20-year modeling period, the volume of accessible and stored water in all the major dams will be approximately 459 million cubic meters, with residential use accounting for about 85 % of urban water use and agriculture accounting for approximately30.37 % of total water demand. The model illustrates the impacts of precipitation rate, runoff, and evaporation on variables such as land-use change and population dynamics. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this study will serve as valuable inputs for decision-making processes, not only within the CoCT as it aims to mitigate or prevent the recurrence of Day Zero, but also for other cities facing similar challenges., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jafaru Musa Egieya reports financial support was provided by the Water Research Commission. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The digital transition is meant as the review of processes using digital technologies and strategies to increase efficiency based on a simpler collection of representative data. The process of interest here is the leakage management in systems distributing water., Objective: To develop a novel key performance indicator (KPI) for leakage management considering the needs of ongoing digital transition in the water sector, which is opening a new era in the management of drinking water infrastructures., Methodology: The novel KPI, named Asset Management Support Indicator, is developed starting from advanced hydraulic modelling and the physical laws governing leakage outflows, in order to be physically based and rational for increasing the efficiency of leakage management activities using representative process data., Results: The Asset Management Support Indicator supports effective leakage management strategies by driving towards efficiency, as discussed and demonstrated using several real case studies., Conclusion: The novel indicator is consistent with the digital transition perspective and current need of increasing the efficiency of water utilities, and it is also suitable to be adopted by water authorities to benchmark their performances, because it overcomes the weaknesses of traditional KPIs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to develop a multi-objective quantitative-qualitative reservoir operation model (MOQQROM) by a simulation-optimization approach. However, the main challenge of these models is their computational complexity. The simulation-optimization method used in this study consists of CE-QUAL-W2 as a hydrodynamic and water quality simulation model and a multi-objective firefly algorithm-k nearest neighbor (MOFA-KNN) as an optimization algorithm which is an efficient algorithm to overcome the computational burden in simulation-optimization approaches by decreasing simulation model calls. MOFA-KNN was expanded for this study, and its performance was evaluated in the MOQQROM. Three objectives were considered in this study, including (1) the sum of the squared mass of total dissolved solids (TDS), (2) the sum of the squared temperature difference between reservoir inflow and outflow as water quality objectives, and (3) the vulnerability index as a water quantity objective. Aidoghmoush reservoir was employed as a case study, and the model was investigated under three scenarios, including the normal, wet, and dry years. Results showed the expanded MOFA-KNN reduced the number of original simulation model calls compared to the total number of simulations in MOQQROM by more than 99%, indicating its efficacy in significantly reducing execution time. The three most desired operating policies for meeting each objective were selected for investigation. Results showed that the operation policy with the best value for the second objective could be chosen as a compromise policy to balance the two conflicting goals of improving quality and supplying the demand in normal and wet scenarios. In terms of contamination mass, this policy was, on average, 16% worse than the first policy and 40% better than the third policy in the normal scenario. In the wet scenario, it was, on average, 55% worse than the first policy and 16% better than the third policy. The outflow temperature of this policy was, on average, only 8.35% different from the inflow temperature in the normal scenario and 0.93% different in the wet scenario. The performance of the developed model is satisfactory., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Water, energy and food security are at the heart of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Maintaining water-energy-food (WEF) system security is critical to sustainable socio-economic development. To clarify the trends in China's WEF system stress, this paper analyses the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of WEF system stress using panel data for 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2020. Using an extended STIRPAT model, we discuss the influencing factors of WEF system stress and forecast the WEF system stress index (WEF_SI) for 2021-2030. We find that China's WEF_SI has a significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with energy stress being the dominant stress in China's WEF system. Second, GDP per capita, urban population density, education level per capita, technology level and effective irrigated area have spatial and temporal heterogeneity in their effects on WEF system stress. Third, the prediction results show that China's WEF system stress will decrease in 2021-2030 but to a lesser extent. The government should coordinate the relationship between water, energy and food based on the evolutionary characteristics and projected trends of each element and formulate differentiated policies according to the resource endowment of each region to promote the coordinated development of the WEF system., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made contaminants of human health concern due to their resistance to degradation, widespread environmental occurrence, bioaccumulation in living organisms, and potential negative health impacts. Private drinking water supplies may be uniquely vulnerable to PFAS contamination in impacted areas, as these systems are not protected under federal regulations and often include limited treatment or remediation, if contaminated, prior to use. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of PFAS contamination in private drinking water supplies in two counties in Southwest Virginia, USA (Floyd and Roanoke) that share similar bedrock geologies, are representative of different state Department of Health risk categories, and to examine the potential for reliance on citizen-science based strategies for sample collection in subsequent efforts. Samples for inorganic ions, bacteria, and PFAS analysis were collected on separate occasions by participants and experts at the home drinking water point of use (POU) for comparison. Experts also collected outside tap samples for analysis of 30 PFAS compounds. At least one PFAS was detectable in 95 % of POU samples collected (n = 60), with a mean total PFAS concentration of 23.5 ± 30.8 ppt. PFOA and PFOS, two PFAS compounds which presently have EPA health advisories, were detectable in 13 % and 22 % of POU samples, respectively. On average, each POU sample contained >3 PFAS compounds, and one sample contained as many as 8 compounds, indicating that exposure to a mixture of PFAS in drinking water may be occurring. Although there were significant differences in total PFAS concentrations between expert and participant collected samples (Wilcoxon, alpha = 0.05), collector bias was inconsistent, and may be due to the time of day of sampling (i.e. morning, afternoon) or specific attributes of a given home. Further research is required to resolve sources of intra-sample variability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Urban water distribution networks (WDNs) have wide range and intricate topology, which include leakage, pipe burst and other abnormal states during production and operation. With the continuous development of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in recent years, the means of monitoring the WDNs by using wireless sensor network technology has gradually received attention and extensive research. Most of the existing researches select the deployment location of sensors according to the hydraulic state of the WDNs, but the connectivity and topology between the nodes of the WDNs are not fully considered and analyzed. In this study, a new method that can integrate the topological features and hydraulic model information of the WDN is proposed to solve the problem of optimal sensor placement. First, the method preprocesses the covariance matrix of the pressure sensitivity matrix of the water distribution network by a diffusion kernel-based data prefiltering method and obtains the new network topology weights and its Laplacian matrix under the constraints of the network topology through a data-based graphical Laplacian learning method. Then, the sensor placement problem is transformed into a matrix minimum eigenvalue constraint problem by the Graph Laplace Regularization (GLR)-based method, and finally the selection of sensor nodes is accomplished by the method based on Gershgorin Disc Alignment (GDA). The proposed strategy is tested on a passive Hanoi network, an active Net 3 network, and a larger network, PA2, and is compared with some existing methods. The results show that the proposed solution achieves good performance in three different leak localization methods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Helicobacter pylori is a microorganism that infects 60% of the population and is considered the main cause of atrophic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and gastric cancer. Different emerging pathogens have been found in drinking water and their presence is considered to be an important public health problem. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out the validation of reliable technologies for this type of pathogens and evaluate their performance. This paper reports, for the first time, H. pylori reduction in a drinking water pilot plant of two slow sand filters (SSF). Inlet water was taken from a gravel filtration system of a rural water supply in Colombia and then inoculated with viable cells of H. pylori. By determining the Genomic Units (GU) through quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), the concentration of GU/sample was measured. In the inlet water amplification for SSF1 and SSF2 were 5.13 × 10 2  ± 4.48 × 10 2 and 6.59 × 10 2  ± 7.32 × 10 2 , respectively, while for the treated water they were 7.0 ± 5.6 and 2.05 × 10 1  ± 2.9 × 10 1 GU/sample for SSF1 and SSF2, respectively. The SSF pilot plant reached up to 3 log reduction units of H. pylori; therefore, since there is not an H. pylori contamination indicator and its periodic monitoring is financially complicated, the SSF could guarantee the drinking water quality necessity that exists in rural areas and small municipalities in developing countries, where infection rates and prevalence of this pathogen are high., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Addressing urban water management challenges requires a holistic view. Sustainable approaches such as blue-green infrastructure (BGI) provide several benefits, but assessing their effectiveness demands a systemic approach. Challenges are magnified in informal areas, leading to the combination of integrated urban water management (IUWM) with BGI as a proposed solution by this research. We employed the Urban Water Use (UWU) model to assess the effectiveness index (EI) of BGI measures in view of IUWM after stakeholder consultation. The procedure in this novel assessment includes expert meetings for scenario building and resident interviews to capture the community's vision. To assess the impact of IUWM on the effectiveness of BGI measures, we proposed a simulation with BGI only and then three simulations with improvements to the water and sewage systems. The results of the EI analysis reveal a substantial improvement in the effectiveness of BGI measures through IUWM combination. Moreover, we offer insights into developing strategies for UWU model application in informal settlements, transferrable to diverse urban areas. The findings hold relevance for policymakers and urban planners, aiding informed decisions in urban water management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The Major River Basins in Madagascar (MRBM) play a crucial role in providing water to the Malagasy population as well as the ecosystem. Little is known about the impact of climate change on these basins, and it is not clear what factors have the most significant impact on them. There are two central objectives of this study: 1. To assess the future potential water available for daily life and agriculture use across the MRBM. 2. To compare the projected change within the MRBM with the historical trends analysis and identify the water-stressed basins. In this paper, a new method for assessing the future available Intra-basin water resources combined with the impacts of climate change, land use, and population is proposed. Three imbalance indicators are introduced to quantify the spatial availability (indicator N°1), distribution (indicator N°2), and variability (indicator N°3) of the Potential Water Resources (PWR) available and have been applied to the MRBM. Under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, results showed a decreasing trend of the PWR in most of the basins by 2050 with a rise in evapotranspiration and a decline in precipitation. The increasing trend and uneven distribution of the population and agricultural land upstream/downstream are found to cause the reduction of the PWR available per capita (by 37 %) and agriculture area (by 69 %) across the MRBM. This study predicts water scarcity for most of the basins by 2050, especially in the Mangoro and Onilahy Basins. Upstream populations are expected to grow in Mahajamba, Mahavavy, Betsiboka, Manambolo, Tsiribihina, Mangoro, Onilahy, Mananara, and Mandrare basins, along with an expansion of the downstream agricultural land in Sofia, Betsiboka, Manambolo, Mangoky, and Mandrare basins. These findings enhance the cause-effect relationship between climate change, land use change, population growth, and water scarcity in the MRBM. Urgent action is therefore needed for an efficient and sustainable management of these water-stressed basins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dual-source drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) over single-source water supply systems are becoming more practical in providing water for megacities. However, the more complex water supply problems are also generated, especially at the hydraulic junction. Herein, we have sampled for a one-year and analyzed the water quality at the hydraulic junction of a dual-source DWDS. The results show that visible changes in drinking water quality, including turbidity, pH, UV 254 , DOC, residual chlorine, and trihalomethanes (TMHs), are observed at the sample point between 10 and 12 km to one drinking water plant. The average concentration of residual chlorine decreases from 0.74 ± 0.05 mg/L to 0.31 ± 0.11 mg/L during the water supplied from 0 to 10 km and then increases to 0.75 ± 0.05 mg/L at the end of 22 km. Whereas the THMs shows an opposite trend, the concentration reaches to a peak level at hydraulic junction area (10-12 km). According to parallel factor (PARAFAC) and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) analysis, organic matters vary significantly during water distribution, and tryptophan-like substances and amino acids are closely related to the level of THMs. The hydraulic junction area is confirmed to be located at 10-12 km based on the water quality variation. Furthermore, data-driven models are established by machine learning (ML) with test R 2 higher than 0.8 for THMs prediction. And the SHAP analysis explains the model results and identifies the positive (water temperature and water supply distance) and negative (residual chlorine and pH) key factors influencing the THMs formation. This study conducts a deep understanding of water quality at the hydraulic junction areas and establishes predictive models for THMs formation in dual-sources DWDS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

There is little evidence of the long-term consequences of maintaining sanitary hot water at high temperatures on the persistence of Legionella in the plumbing system. The aims of this study were to describe the persistence and genotypic variability of L. pneumophila in a hospital building with two entirely independent hot water distribution systems, and to estimate the thermotolerance of the genotypic variants by studying the quantity of VBNC L. pneumophila. Eighty isolates from 55 water samples obtained between the years 2012-2017 were analyzed. All isolates correspond to L. pneumophila serogroup 6. The isolates were discriminated in four restriction patterns by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. In one installation, pattern A + Aa predominated, accounting for 75.8 % of samples, while the other installation exhibited pattern B as the most frequent (81.8 % of samples; p < 0.001). The mean temperature of the isolates was: 52.6 °C (pattern A + Aa) and 55.0 °C (pattern B), being significantly different. Nine strains were selected as representative among patterns to study their thermotolerance by flow-cytometry after 24 h of thermic treatment. VBNC bacteria were detected in all samples. After thermic treatment at 50 °C, 52.0 % of bacteria had an intact membrane, and after 55 °C this percentage decreased to 23.1 %. Each pattern exhibited varying levels of thermotolerance. These findings indicate that the same hospital building can be colonized with different predominant types of Legionella if it has independent hot water installations. Maintaining a minimum temperature of 50 °C at distal points of the system would allow the survival of replicative L. pneumophila. However, the presence of Legionella in hospital water networks is underestimated if culture is considered as the standard method for Legionella detection, because VBNC do not grow on culture plates. This phenomenon can carry implications for the Legionella risk management plans in hospitals that adjust their control measures based on the microbiological surveillance of water., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The water source reservoirs are the important urban water source in northern China. Although external pollution has been greatly improved, the internal pollutants in reservoirs continue to accumulate with the complex deposition and release processes, resulting in potential risks to water supply safety. To address the aforementioned issue, this paper proposed a simulation model of water quality named ECOlab EU1-WSR to simulate the spatio-temporal changes of water quality under the influence of internal pollution for the water source reservoirs. Based on the analysis of the water quality characteristics and the distribution of benthic vegetation in the reservoir, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was established based on MIKE3, the corresponding parameters and the related state variables were set, the ECOlab EU1-WSR model was established by secondly developing the original ECOlab EU1 template, and the real-time dynamic outputs of pollutant content in sediment were added to link the water quality index with sediment nutrition index for better revealing the impact of the internal pollution on the water quality. The performance of the model was evaluated by the case application on the water quality simulation of Daye reservoir and the optimization of the connection project between Daye reservoir and Xueye reservoir in Shandong Province China. The results showed that the model can accurately and simultaneously simulate the pollution in water and sediment by the comparative verification of hydrodynamics, water temperature, and water quality. Moreover, the model can effectively reflect the influence of the accumulation, deposition, and release of internal pollution on water quality by analyzing the correlation between the content of various pollution in water body and those in sediment, such as the total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the water body at the bottom of the water intake, were negatively correlated with the total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the sediments with correlation coefficients of 0.538 and 0.917, respectively. In addition, the optimal water inlet position and water flow rate of the connection project can be optimized and determined by using the model to effectively control water quality. The established model will be a useful tool for the design and management of a reservoir, the interconnection projects, and other water bodies by adaptively recoded., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to present the activities undertaken in the area of waste management by Polish enterprises participating in the EMAS system, operating in the water supply, sewage and waste management and remediation branches. Design/methodology/approach: The grounds for the assumed research method was the analysis of secondary sources in form of environmental statements. The selection of sample was targeted, the research was complete and included 19 companies participating in EMAS, dealing with water supply, sewage and waste management and remediation. Based on the analysis, groups of most frequent activities in the area of waste management have been determined and specific solutions implemented in each group have been presented. Findings: Polish enterprises mostly performed activities relating to: public educational campaigns, use of a system of measurable indicators, waste treatment or disposal and modification of waste treatment installations. It has been found, despite the fact that research has been made among organisations whose activity mainly involves positive environmental impact, that presented solutions could be implemented or inspire not only businesses with a similar profile, but also those whose operations entail producing and introducing waste to the environment. Research limitations/implications: A certain limitation of the research is the fact that information in environmental reports is not uniform, which makes it difficult to analyse. Not every organisation includes data on specific implemented activities in their environmental reports. The areas of further research may include analysis of solutions implemented by Polish manufacturing companies participating in EMAS, relating to waste or energy efficiency. Practical implications: The key input of the described research includes examples of specific actions that could be implemented by organisations dealing with various types of activity in order to prevent production of waste or reduce the volume of waste. Social implications: This paper describes exemplary solutions that could help organisations in improving their environmental performance relating to waste. Originality/value: The results of conducted research may supplement the previous research concerning the EMAS system. This paper contains guidelines and examples of specific activities that organisations could implement in the field of waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the mechanisms of competition for water resources in the regional food and energy industries,taking effective countermeasures in advance will help to promote the sustainable development of the regional food and energy industries. Based on the theory of water footprint, this paper quantifies the water footprint of grain and energy in Shanxi Province, China, and the competition index of energy-grain industry to water resources. Through the ratio of grain blue water and energy water footprint to total water consumption in the region, this study coupled the characteristics of their proportional changes to obtain a competition index that can characterize the competition relationship between regional food and energy industries for water resources. The results showed that (1) In 2000–2021, although the grain yield increased by 81.1%, the grain water footprint only increased by 11.2%, with an average annual growth of 1.0%. The proportion of blue, green and gray water footprints changed from 14.1%, 54.3% and 31.6% in 2000 to 18.8%, 41.2% and 39.9% in 2021, respectively. (2) The energy water footprint increased at an average annual rate of 10.8%, an increase of 544.7% over the period. The coal, natural gas and thermal water footprints in 2021 have increased by a factor of 2.7, 109.2 and 4.0, respectively, compared to 2000. Coal's share of the energy water footprint is 70.6%. (3) The average value of the food and energy industry's competition index for water resources is 0.77, increasing from 0.42 in 2000 to 0.94 in 2021, an average annual increase of 4.3%. These results show that the future sustainable development of the region is facing the major challenge. Therefore, from the perspective of reducing the demand for crop and energy water footprint, some suggestions are put forward to effectively promote the healthy development of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the different views of academia on the weight allocation of vulnerability assessment indicators, this study creatively proposed a data-based objective evaluation framework of water resource vulnerability, and applied it to the evaluation of water resource vulnerability in Hubei Province. According to the conceptual model of DPSIR proposed by the United Nations, five vulnerability factors are proposed: driving force, pressure, state, influence and response. In this study, 15 indicators were selected and the projection tracing model was used to identify vulnerability. Aiming at the complex problem of optimization calculation of projection index function in the projection tracing model, the accelerated genetic algorithm is used to speed up the optimization speed, solves the optimization problem in the process of projection tracing, and determines the objective weight of all indicators. Example calculation shows that the model can deal with complex multi-index optimization problems, and is an effective way to solve the comprehensive evaluation of complex vulnerability, and the weighting method is important for the evaluation of water resources vulnerability. The results of this paper show that the combination of projection tracing method and machine learning algorithm can improve the efficiency, objectivity and accuracy of high-dimensional data analysis, and can provide scientific basis for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the complex variations in water use efficiency (WUE) is critical for optimizing agricultural productivity and resource management. Traditional analytical methods often fail to capture the nonlinear and multiscale variations inherent in WUE, where multifractal theory offers distinct advantages. Given its limited application in WUE studies, this paper analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of the WUE in Anhui Province from 2001 to 2022 using a multifractal, multiscale approach. The results indicated that the WUE exhibited significant interannual variation, peaking in summer, especially in August (2.4552 gC·mm−1·m−2), with the monthly average showing an inverted "V" shape. Across different spatial and temporal scales, the WUE displayed clear multifractal characteristics. Temporally, the variation in fractal features between years was not prominent, while inter-seasonal variation was most complex in August during summer. Spatially, the most distinct multifractal patterns were observed in hilly and mountainous areas, particularly in regions with brown soil distribution. Rainfall was identified as the primary natural driver influencing regional WUE changes. This study aims to promote the sustainable use of water resources while ensuring the stability of agricultural production within protected farmlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature multi-effect distillation (LT-MED) can be used to desalinate and demineralize highly mineralized mine water, facilitating the recycling and reuse of water resources. This study conducted a simulation of LT-MED technology for treating highly mineralized mine water using Aspen Plus and proposed a novel cross-flow optimization scheme. Initially, the impact of operational parameters such as process configuration, number of evaporation effects, and steam input on the gained output ratio (GOR) and scaling risk of a conventional LT-MED system was analyzed. It was found that the number of effects and heating steam flow rate had the most significant influence on GOR, while different processes exhibited limitations regarding GOR and scaling trends. To address these issues, this paper introduced a cross-flow operation process that combined forward, backward, and parallel flow. The simulation results indicated that, under conditions of eight effects, a maximum evaporation temperature of 70 °C, a temperature difference between adjacent effects of 4 °C, and a feed temperature of 45 °C, the cross-flow process—where the feed was introduced from the sixth effect—achieved the highest GOR and significantly reduced scaling risks compared to parallel and backward flow configurations. Finally, to further utilize low-pressure exhaust steam from the final effect of the cross-flow LT-MED system, mechanical vapor compression (MVC) and thermal vapor compression (TVC) were integrated into the LT-MED process. The thermodynamic performance of the coupled system was analyzed, and the simulations demonstrated that the coupled system outperformed the standalone use of either TVC or MVC, with the LT-MED-MVC-TVC system showing superior performance overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation and failure of the urban water supply network may lead to serious safety hazards, including pipe breaks, water supply interruptions, water resource losses, and contaminant intrusions. The risk evaluation of water supply pipeline failure in a distribution network is a challenging task, because most of the available data cannot fully reflect pipeline failure events and many of the mechanisms still cannot be fully understood. Therefore, a predictive model is urgently needed to assess pipeline failure risk based on available data. In this paper, based on the traditional risk assessment theory, seven main factors affecting pipeline failure are selected and scored, and then a pipeline failure model is established by using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) neural network. The model uses the neural network training of historical data to evaluate the failure of the water supply pipeline, and the PSO is used to optimize the neural network to effectively improve the training time and accuracy. The model error and correlation coefficient are 0.003 and 0.987, respectively. The proposed model can be used as a powerful support tool to assist infrastructure managers and pipeline maintainers in their plans and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban–Rural Water supply integration is one of the effective ways to address rural drinking water safety issues. With the rapid economic development and urbanization, the gap between urban and rural water supply has become increasingly evident, and rural areas face severe challenges such as insufficient water sources and substandard water quality. Yunnan Province, due to its unique topography and natural environment, encounters numerous difficulties in promoting the construction and development of urban–rural water supply integration, and there is a severe lack of research specifically focused on sustainable development measures for urban–rural water supply integration in Yunnan Province. In light of this, this paper first reviews the current research status on urban–rural water supply integration both domestically and internationally, pointing out that existing studies mainly focus on optimizing urban water supply systems, addressing rural drinking water safety issues, and exploring water supply management models. It then analyzes the challenges faced by Yunnan Province in advancing urban–rural water supply integration, including limitations in engineering construction, inadequate operation and maintenance, complex and variable water source conditions, and insufficient public awareness of water conservation. In response to these issues, a series of sustainable development measures are proposed, including revitalizing existing assets, enhancing construction planning and quality, promoting water pricing reforms, upgrading the technical system for drinking water safety assurance, and advancing the information technology construction of urban–rural water supply integration, with the aim of providing references and insights for the sustainable development of urban–rural water supply integration in Yunnan Province and other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has ushered in a transformative era for industries worldwide, including the water sector. This paper investigates the difficulties that are encountered and the changes that are required in water sector supply chain management amid the 4IR. A comprehensive analysis of scholarly articles, research papers, and industry reports provides insights into the evolving dynamics of water supply chains. The review identifies challenges such as data integration complexities, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, budget constraints, regulatory intricacies, skills gaps, environmental sustainability concerns, infrastructure compatibility issues, data privacy dilemmas, resource limitations, socio-political factors, and geographical disparities. These are critically examined within their contextual frameworks, highlighting their significance for the water sector. This paper is valuable for researchers, policymakers, water utility professionals, and stakeholders seeking a comprehensive understanding of water sector supply chain management's intricate challenges and transformative changes during the 4IR. This paper could also assist in illuminating water-related problems and solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy transition necessitates hydrogen generation to meet current energy needs. Low-carbon hydrogen (green hydrogen from renewable energy, and blue hydrogen from gas with CO2 removal and storage) is touted as a replacement, with most authors recognising the 'green' credentials of hydrogen. However, this paper examines the impact of hydrogen generation on water resources in the driest inhabited country on Earth – Australia. After analysing water use, the paper then undertakes a detailed analysis of the Australian Certificate of Origin Scheme. The paper concludes that competition over water will need to be considered in both project approvals and certification schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua is the property of Instituto Mexicano de Tecnologia del Agua (IMTA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The traditional water supply pipeline leak detection and location method has problems of false alarms, low positioning accuracy, and low stability. This paper focuses on the pipeline leak detection and location experimental platform to investigate water supply pipeline leaks, followed by simulation and experimental validation. This study integrates the mass flow balance method and pressure change inflection points to determine pipeline leaks and introduces an improved negative pressure wave method for locating leakage points. The results demonstrate that the system accurately detects pipeline leaks. The average positioning error of the improved negative pressure wave method for the leakage point is 4.76%, which has good stability and high positioning accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threat that climate change poses to water resource systems has led to a substantial and growing number of impact studies. These studies follow two approaches: (a) top‐down studies are driven by projections of future climate change provided by downscaled general circulation models (GCMs); and (b) bottom‐up studies are driven by the systematic evaluation of exploratory scenarios. Top‐down approaches produce realistic scenarios rooted in the simulation of thermodynamic and dynamic processes represented in GCMs, but the internal resolution of these processes make it difficult to link vulnerabilities to discrete components of change. Bottom‐up approaches link vulnerabilities to discrete components of change through the structured evaluation of exploratory scenarios, but the lack of insight rooted in climate change processes can lead to the development of implausible scenarios. This paper evaluates exploratory scenarios developed through thermodynamic and dynamical guided perturbations motivated by GCM‐bound insights. The result is a hybrid approach that bridges a gap between top‐down and bottom‐up approaches. This yields several advantages. First, emerging vulnerabilities are linked to distinct thermodynamic and dynamic processes that are modeled in GCMs with differential likelihoods and plausible ranges of change. Second, the structured evaluation of process‐informed exploratory scenarios link system vulnerabilities to distinct components of climate change. An illustrative case study demonstrates perturbations linked to thermodynamic and dynamical processes have a large impact on stakeholder‐defined flood and drought performance, and the structured evaluation of process‐informed exploratory scenarios find nuanced infrastructure‐specific vulnerabilities that would be difficult to identify using an alternative approach. Plain Language Summary: This paper addresses the threat climate change poses to water resource systems. Existing studies mainly use top‐down and bottom‐up methods. Top‐down studies rely upon climate models but struggle to assess local concerns. Bottom‐up studies assess local concerns but struggle to link those concerns to ways the climate is changing. This paper introduces a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of both methods. It evaluates local vulnerabilities using variables that drive impacts and are represented in climate models. A case study shows that this hybrid approach identifies local flood and drought vulnerabilities that would be difficult to find with traditional top‐down and bottom‐up methods. This paper aims to enhance our understanding of how climate change impacts water resource systems. Key Points: Exploratory scenarios rooted in processes represented in climate model simulations enhance bottom‐up climate vulnerability assessmentsSystematic exploration of climate drivers with uncertain futures enhance top‐down climate impact assessmentsExploratory scenarios linked to specific climate change insights identify nuanced system‐centric vulnerabilities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to design and develop an automatic solar irrigation control system based on soil moisture using PLC for Mitragyna speciosa. The various types of irrigation techniques and suitable soil moisture for Mitragyna speciosa, which are important parameters for watering, are discussed in this paper. The proposed system uses calculation methods for solar power generation to produce electricity for water pumps and control devices. A PLC board was used to process the information received from a voltage sensor and a soil moisture sensor to initiate irrigation for Mitragyna speciosa. Additionally, information received from pressure sensors installed on the water pipe was used to process and control two solenoid valves to turn ON/OFF the water supply to achieve a high-velocity and high-volume spray by mini-sprinklers suitable for Mitragyna speciosa. The experimental results showed that the water distribution radius from the water dispenser ranged from 28 to 60 cm, both in low and high sun intensity conditions. Furthermore, the proposed automatic irrigation system could maintain a soil moisture content of 50-80% for Mitragyna speciosa throughout all seasons, resulting in a better fecund of Mitragyna speciosa leaves. The ratio of leaves lost per 1 kilogram of weight was better than the traditional irrigation method by 5.04-9.87%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of biological monitoring (biomonitoring) to assess water quality is recognised alongside the use of chemical and physicochemical parameters due to its ability and efficiency in providing information about both current and long-term changes. Indeed, biomonitoring is applied in several developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, some developing countries, such as Rwanda, are yet to adopt such a monitoring system. This paper presents results of an assessment of the knowledge and perceptions by water resource managers about the use of biomonitoring and bioindicators, and challenges to their integration into existing routine water quality monitoring systems in Rwanda. Qualitative research, using semistructured interviews, was conducted with nine water resource practitioners from six water governance institutions between August and November 2021. The results show that participants are aware that macroinvertebrates, algae and fish are bioindicators that have potential applications in Rwanda to complement the chemical and physicochemical parameters already being collected in the country's water monitoring system. The main challenges for integration of biological indicators, as indicated by participants, include the need for equipment, funding, technical skills and taxonomic knowledge. Training in the use of bioindicators and taxonomy are needed to raise the awareness and skills of staff from the institutions involved in freshwater ecosystem management in Rwanda, and to encourage integration of biomonitoring results into national water monitoring frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional villages along the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal are facing the threat of decline and disappearance due to the decline of the canal transportation function and the advancement of urbanization, and it is urgent to study the protection and renewal of these villages. Based on the needs of villagers, this study aims to explore the planning and construction strategies of traditional village infrastructure in the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal. Through a literature review, field investigation, and qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, this paper conducts in-depth research and data analysis on the status quo of six types of infrastructure in 29 traditional villages, including road traffic, water supply and drainage, garbage sanitation, energy utilization, postal communication, and ecological disaster prevention. The research results show that, although the infrastructure construction has made some progress, there are still problems such as unreasonable planning, low construction quality, and the lack of cultural characteristics, which cannot fully meet the actual needs of villagers. Through a regional comparative analysis, it is found that the infrastructure condition of the Jiangnan Canal section is better than that of the Huaiyang Canal section and Middle Canal section, but they all face challenges of protection and renewal. Based on the needs of villagers, this study puts forward corresponding protection and optimization strategies, which provide theoretical guidance and practical methods for the sustainable development of traditional village infrastructure, and it has important reference significance for the infrastructure protection and development of traditional villages in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of planning and designing resilient housing under a changing climate, the present study constitutes a comprehensive literature review exploring climate-proofing solutions for the built environment concerning energy supply and water availability. This study delved into a multitude of sources that included scientific papers and reports and European Union guidelines and tools. The identified solutions covered building, urban, and territorial scales. The hazards of interest included heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, earthquakes, wildfires, and storms. Several types of solutions were found (e.g., nature-based, education/capacity-building, engineering/built environment, etc.) with different times of application and timescales of action (e.g., defensive measures, short-term solutions, long-term adaptive, etc.). The maturity of the identified solutions was assessed based on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Societal Readiness Level (SRL). Moreover, each solution's contribution to climate mitigation was investigated. The solutions were assessed in terms of self-sustainability and other key criteria, namely, effectiveness, contribution to resilience maturity and climate change mitigation, adaptive nature, financing access, risk reduction, and social cohesion. In total, 85 energy and water solutions were determined from the desk review analysis and 67 (30 for the energy sector and 37 for the water sector) solutions were finally retained and proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is becoming a crisis and a significant threat to economic and agricultural development. In order to achieve long-term sustainability, it is suggested that local government should concentrate on evaluating the water resources' value with a combination of ecological, financial, and societal aspects. Hence, this paper's purpose is to devise an all-encompassing approach for evaluating the value of water resources, thereby providing a robust framework for their assessment. Firstly, a water quality, water quantity, and socioeconomic evaluation indicator system are established for Mashhad plain from 2016 to 2018. Subsequently, a fuzzy index was developed to measure the interrelationships and connections among natural, economic, and social systems, thereby enabling the determination of the value associated with water resources. This study's innovation is that each factor influencing this value was appraised utilizing the fuzzy approach. The water quality index shows poor to very poor fuzzy quality of water in all three years. Also, the water quantity index results show that variable's critical range. Also, based on the fuzzy water quantity index, the water quantity of Mashhad plain is in the critical range. The socioeconomic status assessment model results also showed that the Mashhad plain area has a good to moderate socioeconomic status. The statistics revealed that the valuation of water resources in the Mashhad plain exhibited values of 0.391, 0.399, and 0.416 during the years 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its unique geographical properties, the Yaoquanshan area of Wudalianchi City, Heilongjiang Province, contains rich mineral water resources. We have carried out much research on the mineral water in the Yaoquanshan area of Wudalianchi City, which has also been supplemented by of previous studies. In this paper, through a controlled audio geoelectromagnetic method, geological drilling, groundwater level monitoring and water quality analysis, the structure, regional geology, hydrogeology and water geochemistry, as well as the characteristics of the distribution of metasilicate mineral water and natural soda water, the formation mechanism and the recharge, runoff and excretion of groundwater in the study area, are discussed. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the exploitation and utilization of mineral water resources in the southern region of the Wudalianchi Pharmaceutical Spring Mountain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]